I've been searchin' so long... on Twitter!

Yes, I am a fan of Chicago. 

Seventies-era lyrics aside, searching has been the story of my life this year. Which iPad apps/web sites/Web 2.0 tools are appropriate for middle school?  And support the curriculum? Are what we need to accomplish our goals? Are free or low-cost? The search is on...

It is so easy to get lost in the land of searching. Interestingly, Twitter has been my saving grace. There are quite a few technology gurus who are happy to share resources they've created and/or found. Some folks who have been helpful in their tweets: @hdiblasi, @cybraryman1, @web20classroom, @MrsBfromNC, @jenniferlagarde, @thenerdyteacher, @joycevalenza and @gwynethjones. Once you follow a few of these folks Twitter will suggest other similar people to follow.  I don't yet have a smartphone, so I check Twitter on my laptop or iPad when time in my day allows and I'm sure there is much that I miss. But, I can click on the names of folks that I know post great information  and read their past tweets to refer to links they have referenced. Handily, the links open up in a new window, so I won't lose my place when referencing sites that look interesting, the down side of this being that I often end up with about 15 tabs open at once.

As a school library media specialist, another fun-yet-professional use of Twitter has been following authors. It adds a little punch to my book talks when I'm able to update students on new books, occurrences of writer's block, or book tour appearances of their favorite authors. Many authors tweet blog updates, new titles, and sometimes contests for advance or signed copies of their books. Best of all, many of them have a wicked sense of humor.

Twitter has become an indispensable professional resource as technology integration and STEM have become a major focus in our school system, allowing me to have an instant resource of fantastic professionals at my fingertips - 140 characters at a time.

Thank you to all who contribute,
@marciterp

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